The YumUniverse Interview with Brendan Brazier—Bestselling Author, Ironman Triathlete and Speaker on Performance Nutrition

Photo © Melissa Schwartz

Many of you know that we love our Brendan Brazier around here—I think if there were an extra few hours in the day, Team YU and I would start an official Brendan Brazier Fan club. We all love plant-based food, and we all love fitness, and Brendan is THE expert on both. He’s a bestselling author on performance nutrition, a vegan Ironman triathlete and a renowned speaker who has been a significant inspiration to us active herbivores for years now. If you aren’t familiar with Brendan yet, now is the time. He spent some time talking with me last week about his newly launched plant-based food delivery service THRIVE Foods Direct (based on the principals/recipes in his newest book THRIVE Foods), his Vega Sport Line, his thoughts about how to stay on track and his recommendations for how to best navigate social situations this holiday season. And he has provided a special discount code for YU to try out THRIVE Foods Direct, so dive in.

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La Bella Figura Co-Founder Victoria Fantauzzi Brings YU Plant-Based Eco-Luxury Skincare

If you put in on your skin it’s absorbed into your skin and bloodstream—think about nicotine patches or patch-birth control. Why would lotions, lipsticks or shampoos be any different? Once you learn about the carcinogenic dangers involved with most cosmetics, body care and toiletries, you are often left wondering “what can I use?”

Well, for radiant skin, lips and hair, La Bella Figura has your plant-based and fair-trade secret weapons and they are working not just to produce beautiful quality skincare made from nature, but to educate folks on why plant-based beauty is better. Read more…

Fitness Friday: Introducing Emily Hajduk from CityFit.com

Emily Hajduk is co-founder of CityFit.com, an online fitness directory (coming any day now) that will help connect Chicagoans with fitness businesses and events in the Windy City while highlighting local fitness trends and deals. And for Fitness Friday today she is going to share her do-anywhere body weight circuit with all of YU. It’s a perfect workout that you can fit in with all the travel and hectic schedules of the holiday season. Read more…

Fitness Fridays with Mark Beier: Triceps Series

It’s the first installation of our Fitness Fridays series with YU Contributor and Fitness Expert Mark Beier. Today, he’s sharing three exercises that you can do at home, or at the gym, to sculpt your triceps. Along with your nutrient-rich, plant-based diet, tricep pushups, single leg dumbbell kickbacks, and a side plank with a dumbbell extensions will make your arms chiseled, strong and proving to everyone that plants do indeed make you powerful. Read more…

Happy 1st Birthday, YumUniverse!

This morning I woke up feeling like a very proud mama. See, on this day one year ago, over 600 people came out to welcome my baby, YumUniverse, at the official launch party in Chicago. But August 12, 2010 wasn’t just the launch of a new website dedicated to clean, whole foods, it was the beginning of a community. A dedicated, diverse and welcoming group of people that has inspired me every day since. Read more…

Mission Impossible: Judging the YumUniverse 1st Birthday Recipe Contest

From left to right: Rea Frey Holguin, Maya Henderson, Mark Beier, Valerie Bolon and Heather Crosby

Yes, yes, we are announcing the Top 5 Finalists for the YumUniverse 1st Birthday Recipe Contest today, we just want to show you what was behind this difficult decision. Look for the Top 5 Finalists after lunchtime (T-minus 3 hours)! Read more…

Meet Lauren Scruggs, Founder of LOLO Magazine

Let’s take a break with some fashionable fun today. Meet Lauren Scruggs, founder of LOLO. Lauren has interned in wardrobe for Gossip Girl, the Michael Kors showroom, and she reports for New York, Paris and Montreal fashion weeks. Her hunger for style has fueled a successful blog and now a soon-to-launch online magazine that will feature what’s hot in everything from beauty to food—LOLO Magazine! This is where YumUniverse comes in—look for me as an official LOLO food expert, sharing recipes and tips for delicious plant-based livin’. Cartwheels! Thanks LOLO.

Get to know the inspiring woman behind this new online magazine. Lauren tells YU about her favorite healthy foods, her eco-conscious inspirations, how LOLO is different from other fashion mags and even where the adorable name “LOLO” comes from…

So, sit back with a YumUniverse treat (Lauren recommends Raw Cacao Pudding) and read on.

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YU+Me=Clean Challenge: Meet Beth McVay

My friend Beth McVay and I are pals from the college days in West Virginia. She is a proud auntie, an outdoor enthusiast, massage therapist and all-around great gal living in Boulder, Colorado.

Recently, Beth approached me with a very inspirational idea—she wanted to try a super clean plant-based diet for 10 days and she wanted to use YU as a guide for her success. I told her how much her experience could help many folks with similar goals and she enthusiastically agreed to share her experiences with the YumUniverse community. Luckies! Read more…